Sole Mate
by Bliterswrock
Summary: Is immortality a blessing or a curse? Second chances are good at least… Story takes place in the three year gap where Kagome is separated from InuYasha, while she attends high school. Kag X Inu, OC X ?
1. Chapter 1

The gift of immortality is best described as a double edged blade; the world continuously changes, yet you yourself never do. Walking though each age as if being in a museum. I don't regret having the opportunity that many humans might kill for. Such a thing however, should not be taken lightly.

Higurashi always seemed different. For a girl who once lived the life of a battling priestess, I guess it shouldn't have been a surprise, but now that she had the stable life once desired, she consistently had her mind in a different place. Out the window and back into the feudal area I mused while stealthily catching her gaze. Was it really that long ago that we had met, perhaps half a millennia ago. It was hard to judge if and when she would catch on to who I am. Not that it mattered, she isn't the one who can put my soul to rest. A common phrase uttered was that when finding a mate, there are many fish in the sea.

Over the years, I had come to the conclusion, through observation, that someone can live happily with a number of compatible people. It didn't have to be… true love… (sparkle sparkle), if there was such a thing. Two people with a longing to make the other happy was all it seemed to take for…. love… to take flight. The gears were grinding in my head.

As time passed, I could feel myself becoming more and more out of touch with relationships. Seeing others falling head over heals for the person of their dreams was great and all, but hey… no sparks flying over here, I thought as my forehead massaged the desk I sat in. Was it my way with women or my sarcasm. This profound sense of destiny had me by the balls, but I didn't want that to be the only thing leading me towards my end goal. If I stayed uninvolved in finding my true mate, my greatest hell would be realized. But enough of doom and gloom, I just need to keep my eye's open for that… special someone… People are looking at me again. Was that long hearted sigh audible?

Besides the boredom of school, Kagome seemed to be the only interesting thing in this picture. If it weren't for what I had come to learn about her, she would just be another pretty girl in class. Not that I take women for granted of course, but I did know the truth about her, a partial truth at least. The only question was who should confront who first? I know I didn't make a huge impact way back, but sooner or later she might come to the realization that her and I were once acquainted. Meir months for her in what had been centuries para mi… it was a frigin massive coinkeydink that we would be in the same high school.

Simple plans are the best ones, just fit in for three years and disappear for awhile. Rinse and repeat maybe fifty years down the road. This go-round was different however. I knew that Kagome lived happily with InuYasha and raised a family in the Feudal Era, so why was she here for so long. It must have been six months that I had seen her in class without a hitch. Certain things I knew about her, but my curiosity was getting to be too much. I'll confront her today.

The bell rang. "Everyone remember to complete the assignment on the board", the teachers high pitch voice called out over the sound of books and chairs shuffling around. Lunch hour gave me a chance to confront her privately without having to ask her out on a date. Seemed simple enough, I thought, approaching the young girl. She was a fair bit older than what I remembered, but her hair was still as jet black as before. The predominantly blue uniform was a good match for her appearance. "Higurashi-san," she looked over at me, "how's your day going so far?"

Her face was puzzled, it seemed there was a less than average chance that she remembered. "Hello, Matsuo- san. I'm just trying to keep up with work; is there something I can help you with?" Kagome was a kind as I remembered her, but her face was dimly lit. I figured I could make a couple well placed assumptions about why.

"I was wondering if we could talk over lunch? It looks like you have a lot more on your mind than school." Should I be tactful or just go for the kill, I wondered. It doesn't matter if we reconnect, but it would be nice to spend some quality time with someone I knew would understand me. Kagome looked back up at me. I already knew the answer.

"Maybe another time Matsuo, I doubt I'd be very good company right now." Her response was saddening, and yet I knew that she needed space for whatever reason.

I looked back at her for reassurance, "alright then Higurashi-san, take care." I left passing my signature wave of two fingers off my right eyebrow, trying to remind her but not forcing things either. It would be nice, I remarked on my way out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Haru Matsuo walked home from school that day shortly after the bell released everyone. The work he had remaining was hardly of concern, as the equations and stories that day had all been hammered into him ten times before. It was too bad that he had to keep his head down in the corporate world. More money and a fuller lifestyle were tempting, but over time it would attract too much attention and people would be sure to notice. Still, Haru was a wanderer at heart, moving around never really bothered him. For the eight hundred years he had been alive, there was no place that he could recall as his home aside from the vast area of Japan he explored.

At the moment, home was an apartment on the top floor of a ten level apartment in the city. Heights were enjoyable as far as he was concerned; it incurred a since of safety and vision for the young man, not to mention the workout coming of ten floors of stairs. The keys were in his pocket somewhere, he thought. It's the same place they've always been, but once he found the crease in his tan pants, it was a twist and a push on the door and he was in.

The two room apartment lay silently waiting for him; everything is as it was. He scanned the limits of the area seeing the box which held all his personal belongings when it was time to move again. The door was closed behind as Haru kicked off his shoes and opened a window to the outside world to let in the remaining luminescence of the day. The rest of the apartment glowed with an emptiness that indicated how little he really had to worry about. Save for one item in particular.

Matsuo made his way to the bedroom, or at least that's what he used it for. The futon lay on the ground off to the side where he felt the most spaciously comfortable. It wasn't where he left it. Of course it had a mind of it's own, but hide and seek was a game he looked forward to each day. It wasn't back in the main room or the closet. Unless it could turn invisible, in which case he should watch his step, it could only be in one other place.

Under the cover of the futon, his metallic beauty was reviled. It was a good sized sword glistened in the light. "You get cold in here Tsushiken? I think I saw you shiver." Anyone seeing the sight of him would probably label him a deranged psychopath on the spot, but it was no shock to Haru that the double bladed sword spoke back at him.

"Shut up you twit. I wanted to know if you could sense me, and of course you failed." A condescending tone rang in my head for a few seconds.

"Perhaps if I gave a damn, I would have spent the energy to search you out. Besides, it's more fun that way." Haru pulled the sword from it's comfortable sheath to examine it. It never cased to amaze him how the sword looked unlike any other. From it's golden hilt, the blade consisted of two parts. The half facing inward at present was opaque with the other half, facing outward, transparent. Each side was capable of cutting, but Matsuo knew that it wouldn't be necessary given its characteristics. Towards the tip of the sword, two semicircles formed a full moon between each blade. Only he and the deadly weapon knew the implications of their relationship.

"You done staring? I think I might be blushing…"

'Tsushiken and his sarcasm.' "At least you can laugh"

"Not so," the sword vibrated in his hand. "You simply need to enjoy the moment."

"Yeah well there are too many moments to enjoy."

"Perhaps you should take a view of the big picture then. For the life you once lived, this is like one big second chance. You shouldn't be so negative, or else you'll surely be destroyed as you almost were once." Of course that bastard blade had to remind him, and it was he that put him in this situation in the first place. Living for almost eight hundred years seems like torture compared to death. Humans lived short live compared to demons, but even demons had companions that could live as long as they. It's like being stuck on the beach watching everyone sail off into the distance, left only with the regrets of the past.

It was time to move on.

"So Tsushiken, what do you say we go for a little stroll now that it's almost dark?" He laughed.

"I thought you'd never ask. Are we going out to slay demons Matsou?"

"I wish, but I figure that any demons still around have accustomed themselves to society and aren't much of a threat." The silence the filled the air felt like a nudge on the shoulder. "I'll keep my eyes open," I answered once more in a high pitched voice, and he answered with a hum of satisfaction that I could feel in the blades grip. 'Time to go then,' I thought while trading in my grey button down for a loose gym outfit consisting of a sports jacket and matching black pants. Loose clothing always proved to be better for these little outings. Once I had the holster on my back with Tsushiken inside, it was just a short trip to the roof.

Keys and other personal items stayed in the apartment where they wouldn't end up lost in the streets. I remembered on time that I spent half the day looking for my room key on the road. Think first ask questions later, is my motto after all. It was a cloudy night tonight allowing better concealment. Couldn't have people freakin out. '…is it a bird? is it a plane? No silly, it's some cosplay character who had to take things to the next level…'. 'Only thing left to figure out is which way to go,' I thought. City travel gets to be boring after awhile, so why not explore some wilderness for the night.

The forest wasn't far off, maybe a hop and a skip away. 'Why not make it fun,' I thought before alerting our departure. "Ready Tsushiken?"

In the most sarcastic voice he could muster, "would it matter if I said I wasn't…?"

"Probably not," and with that I sprinted towards the edge and hurtled the two of us over the side.

It was a few wind whipping seconds before we would break ground to the single floor building below. "Ooo… this is exciting…" That bastard sword, always wrecking the fun. "Ready?" he asked almost pointlessly.

"Always!" The store below was rapidly approaching, but it didn't matter. I could feel an excess of power flowing through me that I directed to my legs and eyes.

A young lady about to walk in to the Wac'Donalds with her boyfriend noticed something speeding towards the building. She pointed up and screamed as it came down, but there was no sound of impact detectable. Then a second later something flew past out of site to the east. She couldn't utter a word but only fainted at the sight in her companions arms. "Ayumi, are you alright! We can go somewhere else if you'd like."

By then, Matsuo was long gone from the loft and now stepping gracefully off of trees and buildings in the direction of the quickly approaching woods. "You know you could be more conspicuous right?"

"Sure, I just can't help enjoying the feeling of skydiving without a parachute." Each step was a flash of indigo light under his feet. It was an amazing feeling to be jumping with such great ease and speed. Who knew where he was going, but it was happening fast.

Kagome looked up from her studies sensing a presence neither good nor evil. It was coming from the city towards the shrine at an alarming rate. The strange thing is that the energy consisted of both demonic and spiritual power. She quickly decided to take action, running downstairs, telling everyone to stay where they were. In another five seconds she was outside sprinting to the well house that kept her bow and arrows ready just in case. It would only be a few moments before the presence was right over the shrine, but she was ready with an arrow nocked in her bow.

…meanwhile…

"Do you sense that aura Matsuo?"

"Well yeah, we're right in front of a shrine. There's probably some old priest that lives there." Tsushiken didn't buy that however. There was a more than respectable wealth of Miko energy that defended the shrine, and something else.

"You might want to go around Haru…" That caught him of guard. Tsushiken was suggesting they go around the shrine despite what they were both capable of. It was a serious slap to the face that only made Haru more curious about it.

"Nah, we'll be fine. Just wait and see… I'll jump right over it."

"Idiot," the sword mumbled, only coming out as an itch on his back. The temple was in sight by now, bringing a smile to Haru as he prepared to step over the huge overhang at the entrance.

Kagome readied her arrow for flight at the top of the stairs, the creature was in plain sight. 'Just a little closer' she thought; then realized his trajectory. "Oh wow, this should be good." She lowered her bow to witness the magical moment where her charms would be put to the test. Like a self fulfilling prophecy, the fool stepped right on the wooden entrance setting off the trap she placed for demons who made contact with it. The scream she heard was clearly a mans. 'Poor guy. He didn't stand a chance.' The body once balanced on the structure fell limp from it down to the surrounding bushes.

With the threat seemingly eliminated, she placed her arrows and bow at her side to discover what was left, but partway down the stairs she heard an angry mumbling coming from the bush. Bow ready once again Kagome stepped closer to see what she had made contact with.

"I told you to go around you moron." Tsushiken was enraged and rightfully so.

"Well you could have been more obvious than, 'you might want to go around'" Matsou mocked the sword. "Really, how hard would it have been to say 'IT'S A TRAP!' You don't need to go around being all mystical and vague all the time"

"Alright then. Get out of here before you get an arrow to the chest."

"What?" Suddenly, Kagome broke out from behind the bush just in time to see something disappear down the street.

"Damn," she muttered. 'A new mystery. I didn't know there where demons still that strong in the area.' This left her with only questions to what this new person or demon was all about. Hopefully time would tell. Not sensing his presence anymore, Kagome resolved to return to her family and homework. There was a big test tomorrow, how dare those annoying demons get in the way of her studies. 'It was a shame that InuYasha couldn't be here,' her heart pondered. She doubted she would ever see him again.

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><p>Sorry if the description of Tsushiken was a little vague. I'm not great at description, but I do have a surprise.<p>

Link on my homepage! Check it out! I decided to design the sword on a computer as well, so you can see what I imagined up for it. (It's so much better than my description)

Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

The following day started like any other. The sun was still low in the sky when Haru woke just a minute before his alarm clock. The sound of civilization quietly crept into the room in the form of traffic and construction. Aside from the thought of being found out by Kagome and shunned, it was a peaceful morning…BEEP! BEEP! click...

Usually by now his sword Tsushiken would have said something to him. "Still bitter I see."

"I wouldn't be as you say if you hadn't made such a boneheaded move." That brought a smile to Haru's face, he had been brooding all night.

"Well, sometimes you have to learn the hard way. Sure it hurt, yet think of the lesson we learned."

"I disagree. We both know that you can use me to heighten your senses, but instead you decided to skip *happily along*, until you stepped on a landmine."

"I've been on this rock for seven hundred years and life has taught me not to sweat the small stuff," but that didn't satisfy Tsushiken, rather it made him quite perturbed.

"Couldn't you sense that Miko. She almost purified the both of us. I know your insignificant brain can't think two steps ahead, but that would have dissolved all of the demonic energy that we collected and destroyed you." Haru went cold recalling the memory. There had to be a balance between the two blades for him to survive. There was no arguing with him anymore.

"…and that's why I'm going to school!, so I can learn to use my brain better." Tsushiken scoffed in disgust at how easily he could blow off the concept of damnation.

"No, you go to school so you can be with women seven hundreds of years younger than you…"

"Ah yes," The young man sighed overdramatically. "My other goal in life, and I have you to thank for the opportunity." Haru gave the blade a mocking bow on his way out.

"You jackass." Haru was just able to make out before closing the door behind him. He didn't actually have that in mind on a day to day basis, but the thought of it made him smile. 'It's all good because I still act like a kid, right?'

"No!" A woman screamed down below. 'What the,' Haru looked over the stair ledge at three ladies in uniforms standing at the bus stop. Two were looking directly at the one who cried out, "My bus pass is gone." 'Oh thank goodness, and I thought the universe was telling me something,' Haru thought, noticing the their navy blue uniforms. 'It seems we attend the same high school even. I wonder if she would accept a favor?'

The bus stop was only a few meters from the apartment, it was convenient being this close to transportation. "Excuse me Miss. I thought I noticed that you're in a bind this morning, and was wondering if I could be of assistance?" 'Wow, that was formal,' he thought.

"No, I couldn't accept, it's my fault." The girl was predictable, most people in Japan thought this way.

"Well I don't mind, but if it really bothers you then you can pay me back tomorrow. I think we attend the same high school." The girl was really quite taken aback at Haru. It really must have mattered to her if she didn't reject his second offer.

"I suppose, but I'll be sure to pay you back right away." She uttered quickly after reluctantly accepting. "Thank you…"

'Hey stupid she's asking what your name is,' his brain slowly kicked in gear. "Oh sorry, I'm Matsuo Haru." She smiled.

"My name is Yuka, and these are my two friends, Eri and Ayumi." The look in their eyes were kind and welcoming. It was the least I could do. There was something about Ayumi that caught Haru's eye however. She was looking down in contemplation like there was something deeply troubling her. Perhaps it was school or a friend of hers, or maybe both. There wasn't anymore time to empathize because the bus was just arriving. Haru paid for Yuka's fare, she thanked him once again, and he made his way to the back corner. The girls decided to stay huddled somewhere in the middle and converse to themselves. 'Ahh women,' he thought then letting his mind trail away to watch the panorama of city life.

* * *

><p>Kagome eyed the floor of the train intently. She couldn't help thinking about the demonic aura from the night before. Why did it happen that when she was in the Feudal Era she couldn't stop worrying about school, but here, there was always something from the past that troubled her. She was a person of two worlds. Although she could never forget where she came from and her friends along the way, Kagome's heart would always belong in the past with InuYasha.<p>

It shouldn't have had to be this way. They managed to defeat Naraku, but when the two of them came back from the past, the gateway closed, taking her love away without choice. Kagome decided that it was because of her indecision at the time that caused her to become trapped, but it was simply the Shikon Jewel restoring the order of things with its departure. She wondered if it would have been better to be stuck for good in the Feudal Era. Her three best friends would stay completely ignorant of her travels; Mom, Gramps, and Sota would be equally in the dark, not knowing if she was alive of dead. Her mother above all had been so understanding of her situation. It would break her heart to be gone without a word, but now this. It was all so awful, she thought bringing tears to her eyes. "Last stop," she heard brining her attention back to the present; '… but I can't give up hope.'

Everyone cleared out of the train. Shortly after the tone, indicating its departure, sounded off. It felt strange these last six months how she had become much more independent. She was able to see her friends from Junior High on occasion, but classes were almost never the same. There was a time when they were all able to walk to school because of the short distance from home. Unfortunately, that changed as well. The three girls had told her that they would be taking a bus to school come the start of high school, and Kagome decided It was better taking the train each day because it meant more sleep every night. Still, there were still fond memories with her of their conversations about InuYasha, the psyco boyfriend (cue the violins). They would have to get together again for old times sake and maybe discuss the truth of where she had been all those days.

Ayumi, Eri, Yuka, and Haru disembarked from the bus along will a few other students. Haru made his way ahead to the school leaving the girls side. "…but that's crazy," one of them began. Ayumi had broken down about the night before. The date she was intending to go on would have been much better if it weren't for the freak happening right outside the restaurant.

"He fell ten stories," Eri began.

"…then jumped away like nothing happened?" Both girls were amazed at the story, but none more than Ayumi who had lived through it. The worst part is that her so called friend that night didn't even believe the story and thought she was blowing him off. Ayumi was just looking for reassurance, yet there was nobody that could collaborate her story. Maybe it was just her imagination.

"We believe you Ayumi," Eri chimed in again.

"Of course," Yuka agreed, thinking back to the last freak incident: the school play perhaps. Who knew that the school would allow a demolition like that, just for the sake of a cultural festival.

"I knew it." The three stopped dead in their tracks, and turned to see Kagome smiling brightly at them. "I knew I would see you ladies this morning." They instantly forgot their worries for the moment to greet her. "Kagome, it's been awhile. You haven't been sick at home have you?"

"Oh I wish…" Yuka seemed surprised at first but then reacted with a laugh to what she thought was sarcasm. Kagome only maintained her smile to attempt avoiding the awkwardness.

"Say Kagome, how's that boyfriend of yours doing? We haven't seen him in awhile." Aww they had hit the whammy, sullying her mood like a bucket of cold water. It took her awhile to get her words together. Ayumi quickly picked up on her mood.

"It's alright if you don't want to talk about it Kagome."

"No… I do. Just not right now." Kagome's words were quiet but firm as she looked up to address her friends. "How about this evening. There's a certain fast food chain I've been missing," but everyone, especially Ayumi, shuddered at the thought .

"Well you see Kagome," Eri began in support of her friend. "There was something really weird going on there the other night."

"I know I saw someone fall from the apartment building across the street, but then I saw the same person fly away like some kind of super-human." Kagome was suddenly thrown off her balance remembering the incident last night. It was probably the same demon that she had seen.

It was clear that he wasn't making any great attempt to conceal himself. Such reckless actions could raise all kinds of investigations if the wrong people found out. Before, a demon could roam the forest freely if he so chose, but today, humans far outnumbered demons. It was usually in their best interests to lay low if they wanted to enjoy the long span gifted to them. Kagome had never encountered such a demon in the present, and that kind of audacity and strength could pose a threat to the city and its residents.

"Kaaagooome…"

"What?" The nonresponsive priestess finally broke from her thought process.

"Houston we had made contact!" Yuka threw her hands up in the air in joyful praise.

"Do you know something about this Kagome?" Damn, Ayumi was always so perceptive in a sideways manor.

"No. No… of course not." Her voice ended on a high note. It would only further complicate the explanation she had to give, but they deserved to know the truth. "We should get together sometime soon though." Kagome let out a smile that reassured the girls that she did in fact know something.

"Whenever you're ready Kagome," Ayumi smiled warmheartedly back at her. 'You're going to let her off the hook that easily,' the other two thought back in unison, but Yuka was first to break up their mini get together.

"Look at the time!"

"*Yes, let's not be late*" Kagome let out cheerfully, moving briskly to the school campus.

"She's definitely hiding something." They all agreed. It was her way of handling things that took time: stay quiet and wait for her boyfriend to come around.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

**Hey everyone. Sorry about the slow start; I will never be a fast writer, but I'm trying to make up for it with plot development. **

**Chapter 4 is almost done, so bear with me *RAWR*. I don't want to have to take back any of my words if the story changes direction in my head.**

**It will get more exciting,**

**I promise... *fades off into the sunset***


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